“Big Fish Theory was a throwback to hip-hop's heyday, when the only rules were for breaking.” – Rolling Stones

“The result is a sleek rave-rap record that casually probes celebrity and class, a release that is half celebration of rap stardom and half critique of the often toxic culture it breeds. Staples is as clever as ever, but now the beats travel faster than his racing mind.” – Pitchfork

The Waters (stylized as The Water[s]) is the fourth mixtape by American rapper Mick Jenkins. The Waters is a concept mixtape. Jenkins' lyrics are immersed in the symbolic meanings of water. The mixtape includes features by Pro Era member Joey Badass as well as The Mind, Noname, and Jean Deaux. Producers who contributed in the mixtape include Statik Selektah, Kirk Knight, OnGaud, Spacedtime, THEMpeople, THC, Dream Koala, DJ Dahi, High Klassfied, Da P, J Money, TJ Osinulu and Cam for J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. – Wiki

“The Chicago rap scene has undergone a creative renaissance in the past few years, and Mick Jenkins is the latest auteur to emerge to the forefront. His new mixtape features improved songcraft and a tightened focus, its cohesive sound reflective of the album's titular metaphor.” – Pitchfork

“The indisputable success that Mick has achieved in The Water[s] is not only confirmation that he is imperative to the progress of hip-hop within his specific region of the country, but most importantly, that he warrants recognition as a formidable opponent to some of hip-hop’s most highly regarded MCs.

Mick Jenkins’ proverbial cup is currently filled with some of the purest water that the industry has to offer, and if you ask the fearless man who’s holding it, he’ll assure you that there is an eternal supply of it to come.” – XXL

The Mouse and the Mask is a collaboration album by Danger Mouse and MF Doom under the name Danger Doom, released on October 11, 2005 by punk label Epitaph Records in the United States, marking it the third hip hop release for the label. The album is composed almost entirely of raps by MF DOOM, performed over beats created by Danger Mouse sampling music from various television shows airing on Cartoon Network's programming block Adult Swim. – Wiki

“MF Doom, Danger Mouse, and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim have each ascended to countercultural glory using the sum of popular culture as their outsized playpens, reconfiguring cartoon and comic-book iconography and/or old sounds into giddily ridiculous yet strangely fitting new arrangements. Collectively, they've transformed third-rate superheroes into attorneys and oblivious talk-show hosts, deadpan rappers with an endless reservoir of obscure pop-culture references into comic-book supervillains, and The Beatles and Jay-Z into unwitting collaborators. Separately, they've radically appropriated other people's creations to fit their own ends with the kind of brash, smartass irreverence that tends to result in obsessive cult followings, legal threats, or both.

Danger Mouse provides the beats and Doom the rhymes, while the cult icons and sentient meat patties of Adult Swim run amok in the margins, heckling the headliners, making bids for the spotlight, and rhapsodizing about "heartwarming but rarely amusing Ziggy cartoons." […] Danger Mouse knows this territory well, and he lays down happy horns and a day-glo retro vibe for "Old School," where Doom and guest Talib Kweli trip giddily down memory lane, reminiscing about the simple pleasures of Saturday morning cartoons and sugary cereal. Danger Mouse overlaps rubbery and sci-fi synths on "Benzie Box," as Cee-Lo Green purrs an infectious chorus that could double as Doom's super-villainous theme music.” – AV Club

Fundamentals, Parisian producer Onra’s third solo LP with All City Records, is a paean to 90s hip-hop and R&B long players, an album that wears its Golden Era inspirations proudly on its sleeve.

Far more than the sum of its influences, it’s a retro-futuristic sound, looking back but thinking forward. A collaborative project with a busy line up, which has taken a while to cook up, the features run the gamut from back-in-the-day heads to fresh up-and-comers. Taking the production levels up a notch with a more crafted, polished sound across the whole LP, the album was produced entirely on an MPC with no computer software used.

Young Harlem MC Perrion kicks off proceedings, making the step up from mixtapes to vinyl effortlessly.Chuck Inglish flies solo on “So Long” and long time Onra friend Olivier Daysoul pairs up with Daz Dillinger of Dogg Pounder on one for the Lowriders – “We Ridin”. Cult Chicago rap group Do or Die also team up with a soul singer – their old collaborator Johnny P – “Over & Over” has the whole Rap-A-Lot crew in action and the soulful theme continues with a Suzi Analogue slow jam and Dutch MC Melodee on a Love Tip. KC of bubbling up London collective Last Night in Paris shows why he can count Pharrell among his devotees and other guests include rap crew the Doppelgangaz and Black Milk, who brings it to a close, ending a very personal project for the French producer, built on hip-hop and R&B foundations and flipped in his own signature style. – Press Release

“Representing Paris, France, Onra finds many different influences to make his sound. He has sampled from different influences his entire career. From his soul music influenced first album (the Quetzal collab called Tribute) to the Vietnamese Pop stylings of his Chinoiseries, Onra has made use of what moves him. Now, he wants to make a desirable dedication to 90’s hip hop. Fundamentals is aptly titled due to its fundamental ground work in funky rhythms and slow grooves.

Onra showcases production that would make west coast and Midwest music lovers excited with nostalgia. MC Melodee spits over rolling funky sampled melodies on Love Tip. Meanwhile, Chuck Inglish rides the slow, low riding production of So Long. Yet, when Over and Over drops with Johnny P singing while Do or Die spits those rapid fire pimp raps, it is understood what Onra truly enjoys.” – Wordplay

4 Your Eyez Only is the fourth studio album by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on December 9, 2016, by Dreamville Records, Roc Nation and Interscope Records. The album was Cole's first release with Interscope—his previous albums were released by Columbia. The album also serves as Dreamville's president Ibrahim Hamad first executive producer credit for a Cole album. Most of these recordings took place from 2015 to 2016, while the production on the album was primarily handled by Cole himself, alongside several other record producers such as Vinylz, Boi-1da, Cardiak, Ron Gilmore, Frank Dukes, Chargaux and Elite, among others. Promoting the release, Cole released a one-hour documentary (by the same name) on April 15, 2017 on HBO, featuring music from the album. 4 Your Eyez Only was released exactly two years after Cole's previous studio album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive.

The album received generally positive reviews from critics, some of whom called it Cole's best album to date. 4 Your Eyez Only debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 363,000 copies in its first week (492,000 with additional album-equivalent units) earning Cole his fourth consecutive number-one album in the country. It had the third-largest weekly sales for an album in 2016. On January 12, 2017, 4 Your Eyez Only was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, and was certified platinum on April 7, 2017. The album also debuted at number one on Billboard's Canadian Albums Chart. The album was supported by two singles: "Deja Vu" and "Neighbors". – Wiki

“4 Your Eyez Only is ten tracks, no features and perfect ingredients. It's simple, confident, assured…Eyez is about trying to be a good man, even though circumstances don't permit you to. It's about how the people you love view you; how you may want to impress them, but might not be able to. It's a love letter, and yet, it's astonishing just how hard-hitting it is…

It could have been pretentious, but Cole has always been one of the most slept-on songwriters in hip-hop, and on this record, he's better than he's ever been. Listening to him spit over the menacing harpsichord of "Immortal," or dropping confident, searing lines on "Neighbours" is a joy. The album's standout, "Folding Clothes," will probably spur a thousand new memes. The production — courtesy of some bubbling-under beatmakers, along with Cole himself — bangs.” – Exclaim!

“Supported by some of his best songwriting and an openness that adds real credence to his message. He has been on a path of gradual evolution ever since he appeared to lose his way upon signing to a major label at the turn of the decade and realising the weight of success was a heavy burden to carry. He has matured into a one of the most important figures in modern hip hop and 4 Your Eyez Only is the evidence of this. We can only hope his message can inspire hope and change in communities across the world.” – Popmatters

All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ is the sophomore album from Joey Bada$$. The project features some high profile artists. Joey Bada$$ is coming off the heels of starring in the award-winning TV show Mr. Robot and his latest single, "Devastated" being RIAA certified gold. – Press Release

“Joey has always been labeled as a conscious rapper with a heavy reliance on third eye perspectives on beats, rhymes and life. This liberated logic of music making is coupled with strong technical rap skills—a deadly combo for any artist. However, it’s taken Joey over five years of releases to get this complete arsenal. In a way, his past projects, like B4.Da.$$, have collectively groomed his expressive prowess to make an album of this importance. All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ encompasses everything we’ve come to love about Joey over the past few years with an added sense of social responsibility that is needed in times like these.

One of the most noticeable features on All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ is Joey’s wildly evolved sound. The lead single “Devastated” is a dead giveaway to the fact that Joey displays growth in his sound, as the grandiose production pumps a heavy rhythmic bass and a rattling chant-a-long chorus. As his biggest song to date plays through, it’s almost hard to believe that the boom bap-obsessed skater kid from Brooklyn made this type of anthem-laden track a mere five years after his debut. However, the sentiments of struggle turning into strength promoted on “Devastated” have very much been a part of Joey’s music since 2011, and are taken to the next level on this album.” – XXL

“All-Amerikkan Bada$$, the New Yorker's second full length record, feels like a culmination of all of the years spent working away at his craft. 'For My People' and 'Temptation' set the stall out early. Bada$$’s signature soul -infused samples are pasted all over the place, creating a almost surreally calm landscape for the man’s smooth yet vitriolic bars.” – Drowned In Sound

The Internet's frontwoman and producer Syd releases her first solo album, entitled Fin. It was written and produced by Syd, and also features production from Melo X (Lemonade), Hit Boy, Haze, and Rahki. Fin is the first new music written and produced by Syd since the release of The Internet's Grammy-nominated album, Ego Death, in 2015. Indeed, Fin is the bold next step in Syd's musical evolution, a brilliant album packed full of dark R&B bravado, and anchored by her smooth-as-silk voice. Esquire writes, "12 sultry, beat-heavy tracks that call to mind her heroes like Aaliyah, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill." – Press Release

“Syd, the charismatic songwriter and performer at the center of R&B group the Internet, sounds more comfortable and focused than ever on her slinky, confident solo debut.” – Pitchfork, 8.1

“Syd is many wonderful things on solo debut Fin - singer, producer, all-around seductress—but most importantly, she is human, and her album is filled with all that entails. Fin is full to the brim with sex and style, a slow-motion bacchanal that feels like a VIP party in spite of how low-key Syd keeps it. Steady beats underscore Syd’s effortless vocal delivery, itself so low-key that it makes even her most hyperbolic claims (“I would tell you that I am the greatest, but you knew that”) sound like casual statements, unpretentious and entirely factual.” – Popmatters

The first weapon drawn in a conflict is language, but the first weapon drawn for Czarface is music. Wu-Tang Clan's Inspectah Deck & Esoteric carved a niche for Czarface with venomous vocals, but the musical production is their super power. Powered by the trademark sound of 7L and Todd Spadafore (The Czar-Keys), a sound that's been developed since Czarface's first LP in 2013, First Weapon Drawn serves as the soundtrack to Czarface's mysterious origin.

Fresh off of their collaboration with Marvel Comics, Czarface has not only delivered a new audio adventure complete with narration, it has given us an extra large, full color, action-packed 24 page comic book with it, housed in a beautiful gatefold jacket! In the spirit of the highly sought after Power Records series from the 70's, you can read along with the comic and hear the story come to life on vinyl. – Press Release

The 18-track double album features four songs that have been soaring up the charts since their release - "Starboy," "False Alarm," "I Feel It Coming" and "Party Monster" plus incredible features from Daft Punk (album opener and lead single "Starboy and funky closer "I Feel It Coming"), Kendrick Lamar ("Sidewalks"), Lana Del Rey ("Stargirl Interlude") and Future ("All I Know"). – Press Release

“The album is a perfect blend of The Weeknd’s vibe and musical style. After many listen-throughs, this album lives up to the hype and delivers a cohesive body of work that encompasses everything The Weeknd has to offer: a blend of r&b, pop, hip-hop, and even ballads.

Starboy is a body of work that anyone can appreciate. Older fans will be happy to hear his infamous somber lyricism, moody atmospheres, and powerful vocals while newer fans can appreciate more pop-influenced songs that still push the envelope of mainstream sound.” – Earmilk

“Starboy contains pretty much everything that you've ever loved about The Weeknd, no matter what it is you love about him. There's nihilism, anonymous sex, drug abuse, angelic falsetto, queasy instrumentation, Drake-esque bangers, repentant ballads, undeniable pop gems-- but also a heavy dose of new avenues pursued. For one, the album's smack-dab in the '80s with its samples, sounds, and influences. While Tesfaye expertly mimicked Michael Jackson on a few BBTM singles, he's out here emulating the decade's weirder, more moody mainstays, like David Bowie, Tears For Fears, and Prince, which better suit his emo tendencies. There's also a mush lusher use of live instrumentation-- white-hot electric guitar on "Secrets" and "Sidewalks," brighter keyboard all around, and some top-notch bass guitar throughout. The most important new additions, though, come from inside Tesfaye himself.” – Hot New Hip Hop

Other standout tracks include the Fred Fades-produced ballad “WatchingYou” which features the incredible voice of New York via Oslo musician Charlotte Dos Santos – a video of this track coming up next week.

Sofie’s SOS Tape ties into her radio show of the same name on the London-based channel NTS. An enticing selection of artists that should be on your radar, this mix brings tracks that otherwise would have stayed floating in DJ sets, shows, and personal mixtapes to the light. – Press Release

“Sofie's SOS Tape is an expansive 24-track double LP of underground heat, ranging from brief beat sketches to spaced-out neo-soul. A handful of the names will be familiar to avid fans of the Stones Throw/Leaving Records universe -- Mndsgn pops up a few times, and artists like Jonwayne, GB (Gifted & Blessed), and Pyramid Vritra are also present -- and several artists on House Shoes' Street Corner Music make appearances as well, but plenty of other artists are new discoveries. Many of the tracks feature the type of crunchy, off-kilter beats normally associated with the underground beat scene, with the crackle of dusty old records ever-present.” – Allmusic

A Tribe Called Quest – Q-Tip, Phife Dawg (who passed away on March 22, 2016), Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Jarobi White – the groundbreaking '90s group that forever transformed the urban music landscape, detonates new shock waves on their first – and last – new studio album together in 18 years, We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service. The landmark release represents the first new music from A Tribe Called Quest since they disbanded in 1998, after recording The Love Movement, their final album together. Renowned painter/photographer Richard Prince was commissioned to create the album's show-stopping cover art.

"The extraordinary times in which we now find ourselves desperately call out for a new message from A Tribe Called Quest, and We Got It From Here... is that message," said LA Reid, Chairman and CEO, Epic Records. "For nearly two decades, it has been my deepest personal wish to add one more chapter to their incredible legacy. I am deeply honored that Tribe entrusted us with this historic and final album."

Queens, New York natives Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of Brooklyn, formed A Tribe Called Quest in 1985. The group is one of hip-hop's most legendary, beloved and revered groups of all time. Easily recognized for their unique approach to rap music by employing jazz infused soundscapes to Afro centric rhymes, ATCQ was largely responsible for the popularity of a new genre that dominated the East Coast sound of the early-90s. Sonically, ATCQ was a decisive and welcomed tangent of jazz, bass-heavy rhythmic vibes and eclectic sampling when compared to the mundane recycling of soul loops, breaks and vocals of their contemporaries.

Lyrically, emcees Q-Tip and Phife Dawg addressed social issues relevant to young blacks such as use of the n word and its relevance, date rape and other interpersonal relationships, industry politics and consumerism with infectious energy and fun and having a good time while still promoting positivity. ATCQ composed a number of successful singles and albums with their creative approach to rap music. In 1990, the group released Peoples Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. Their sophomore effort, 1991'sThe Low End Theory, considered one of the greatest albums in hip-hop history, solidified them as legends.

In recent years, the anticipation for another ATCQ album has been building. Today, the power of the Abstract Poetic, Five Foot Assassin, and Mr. Muhammad is still evident in their dynamic stage shows and in the reception of their adoring fans. We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service finds the group paying respect to both their legacy and their fans and it's a cathartic moment for all. – Press Release

“It can’t be said enough how simply good this record sounds and feels. Everyone here shows themselves to be a better rapper than they have ever been before, but that still doesn’t capture the ease and exuberance of it all, how Q-Tip curls flows and words on “The Donald,” how Jarobi surprises with packed strings of rhyme at each turn, how Phife and Busta Rhymes dip effortlessly in and out of Caribbean patois and Black American slanguage. (And that’s not even taking into account Consequence’s inventive word marriages on “Mobius” and “Whateva Will Be,” Kendrick Lamar’s energetic angst on “Conrad Tokyo,” or André 3000’s and Tip’s playful tag team on “Kids…”) The music is decidedly analog, a refutation of polished sheen and maximal perfection; it’s an extension and culmination of ATCQ’s jazz-influenced low-end theory. But that doesn’t capture the bounces, grooves, sexual moans, random bleeps, stuttering drums that float throughout—like every classic Tribe album, it defies simple descriptions.” – Pitchfork

“A record rooted in anxiety and mourning, We Got It From Here remains musically as dark and electrically relaxed as 1996's Beats, Rhymes and Life and 1998's The Love Movement. With help from visionary producer J Dilla, those critically mixed, commercially sturdy records were moody, muted, experimental, deeply funky and remarkably prescient, but ultimately unable to wrangle the proper amount of attention in the shiny-suit era. We Got It From Here checks in with similarly off-kilter but undeniably grooving beats. Tribe utilize the Dilla innovation of letting samples clash at odd angles; they let a copy of Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets" skip endlessly until the real John pops in for a guest spot, and the drum beat to "Lost Somebody," one of the album's Phife tributes, doubles up and separates from itself like a Steve Reich phasing experiment before abruptly slamming into total silence. In a contemporary move, Tribe abandon the Nineties hip-hop format and allow for modern musical and melodic sprawl, like a guitar solo from Jack White, a psychedelic keyboard detour or a spiraling verse from Anderson Paak.” – Rolling Stone

Anti is the eighth studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on January 28, 2016, through Westbury Road and Roc Nation. The singer began planning the record in 2014, at which time she left her previous label Def Jam and joined Roc Nation. Work continued into 2015, during which she released three singles including "FourFiveSeconds", which reached the top 10 in several markets; they were ultimately removed from the final track listing. Anti was made available for free digital download on January 28 through Tidal and was released to online music stores for paid purchase on January 29.

As executive producer, Rihanna contributed to most of the album's lyrics and collaborated with producers including Jeff Bhasker, Boi-1da, DJ Mustard, Hit-Boy, Brian Kennedy, Timbaland and No I.D. to achieve her desired sound. The efforts resulted in a departure from Rihanna's previous dance and club music genres and created a primarily pop and R&B album, with elements of dancehall and soul. The producers incorporated dark, sparsely layered, minimalist song structures, with most of Anti's lyrics dealing with the complexities of romantic love and self-assurance.

The album was released to positive reviews from music critics and numerous publications included it on their list of Best Albums of 2016. It peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200, moving 166,000 equivalent-album units in its first full-tracking week, and after two days of its release was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as a result of Samsung purchasing one million copies of the album in advance that were then given away as a free download. It was promoted with four singles, including the single "Work", featuring Canadian rapper Drake, which peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 becoming Rihanna's fourteenth number one song on the chart. To further promote the album, Rihanna embarked on the Anti World Tour in 2016. – Wiki

“Anti is first and foremost an experience built on vibes. Where previous LPs were built around clear peaks, here the songs fit together into a fluid landscape of seamless transitions – check the flow on the excellent mid-album run of after-hours joints from "Desperado" to "Woo" to "Needed Me." Every song sounds like our collective fantasy of Rihanna: a carefree island girl lounging in a cloud of smoke, asserting a brand of independence that's wholly her own. On "James Joint," she assures us that she'd "rather be/Smoking weed/Whenever we breathe/Every time you kiss me" in her most dulcet tones. "You been rollin' around/Shit, I'm rollin' up," she asserts on the biting kiss-off track "Needed Me." Clearly, the stoned party goddess we've seen on Instagram and Snapchat is pretty close to the real Rihanna.” – Rolling Stone

“Anti is her best album for a reason so simple it's tautological—despite its supposed rejection of track-and-hook mechanics, it features catchier songs. True, the main time they really make me go woo is when she breaks into gibberish at the end of "Work." But then some German hands her "Love on the Brain," the best new doowop song in decades, which segues perfectly to a power entreaty avec drunk violins, after which the album proper goes out on a piano-enhanced coda that adds a nice sweetness.” – Noisey

Mecca and the Soul Brother is the critically acclaimed 1992 debut album from the Mount Vernon duo, Pete Rock & CL Smooth. The album contains their best known song, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)." Mecca and the Soul Brother has been widely acclaimed as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. The album was mostly produced by Pete Rock and Executive Produced by DJ Eddie F of Heavy D & the Boyz (co-group member with Trouble T-Roy).

Mecca and the Soul Brother followed on the heels of the duo's EP; All Souled Out, released in 1991. Despite being a critical success, it had little commercial success in comparison to other noteworthy releases of 1992, such as Dr. Dre's The Chronic. The first single, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)", a dedication to their deceased friend; Trouble T Roy (a dance member of Heavy D. & The Boyz), has gone on to become not only their signature hit, but also one of hip hop's most highly regarded songs.

Other topics on the album range from life in the ghetto ("Ghettos of the Mind"), the teachings of the Nation of Islam ("Anger in the Nation"), bootlegging ("Straighten It Out"), and love ("Lots of Lovin'"). - Wiki

“The songs are connected and the album is propelled forward by Rock's quick, soul-tight interludes; these are usually bits of old R&B and soul tunes but sometimes they're spoken pieces or spontaneous, freestyle sessions. These interludes provide a sort of dense spiritual tone and resonance in the album that is not religiously based at all, but fully hip-hop based, emerging from the urban altars that are the basements and rooftops of the city.” - AllMusic

Anderson Paak is the next R&B virtuoso on the verge of blowing up. His eclectic style, songwriting abilities and musical chops allow him to effortlessly blend genres borrowing from hip hop, alt-rock, R&B, jazz and electronic. Album features Tokimonsta, Ta-Ku, Lo-Def and more. – Fatbeats

“This album…positions him as a neo-R&B singer in the vein of The Weeknd, Miguel and Frank Ocean, oozing seductively over glitchy beats and keyboard washes.

“Milk And Honey” opens proceedings with a puttering electro beat, simple synth figure and urgent but laidback rap about his women problems, establishing the warm, fuzzy vibe that sustains through the album, with standout cuts including the heavily Auto-Tuned “Drugs”, a tragic tale of somatic sexuality, and the closing “Off The Ground”, a sublime electropop groove.” – Independent

““It’s a search for creativity, laughter, purpose & rhythms.” With those four simple terms, Sampa The Great describes her astonishing newest release, “The Great Mixtape.” Hailing from Sydney by way of Zambia, Sampa has a penchant for poetry and weaves dense lyrical mazes with her verses, drawing listeners into a lush, imaginative world. Her music bonds from spoken-word to pure hip-hop rapping, with stops at psychedelic and bluesy waypoints in between; it’s the sound of an adventurous young mind pushing out against all boundaries. To listen is to learn.

“The Great Mixtape” hits its stride on “Jamal,” a bright bit of jazzy hip-hop over which Sampa ignites brainstorms. The entire record was produced by Australian beatmaker Godriguez, who deserves abundant praise for his progressive tones and wide-spanning style. “The Great Mixtape” contains sounds both classic and completely new, like a Digable Planets record that really did arrive from another, funkier planet. Acts like Hiatus Kaiyote and Kimbra have been proving for years that R&B is alive and well down under; now, The Great Sampa and Godriguez have done the same for hip-hop. With such a fantastic new release now logged, we can only expect to hear more and more from Sampa.” – Okayplayer

“Zambian-born, Botswana-raised rapper, poet and singer-songwriter Sampa The Great is sharing her 12-track debut mixtape on the Melbourne-based label Wondercore Island (home of Hiatus Kaiyote, Oscar Key Sung, and several others). The Great mixtape, produced entirely by Australia’s Godriguez, flows through a collection of experimental beats and left-field rhymes shaped by Sampa’s wide-spanning influences of Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill, Thandiswa Mazwai, Asa, Nneka, and Yasiin Bey.

Sampa, who mentions that she first fell in love with hip-hop after listening to 2Pac‘s “Changes” in her cousin’s room, credits her youth in Africa for influencing her tracks’ political consciousness, “humanity, spirituality.. and highly increased… belief in self.” Highlights on the debut tape include the relentless, piano-backed bars of “Jamal,” the sample-heavy beatwork in “Revolution” and girl anthem “F E M A L E.”” – OkayAfrica

Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde is the debut album of American hip hop group The Pharcyde, originally released in 1992 through Delicious Vinyl Records. The album was produced by former group member J-Swift, and features only one guest appearance, provided by little known Los Angeles rapper Bucwheed (known then as "Buckwheat" from The Wascals). In the years after its release, Bizarre Ride has been hailed by music critics and alternative hip hop fans, as a classic hip hop album along with Souls of Mischief's "93 'til Infinity", and has appeared in numerous publications' "best albums" lists.

Released during the dominant Gangsta rap era of West Coast hip hop, Bizarre Ride was described as "refreshing" due to its playful, light-hearted humor and lush, jazzy production. Along with albums such as To Whom It May Concern... by Freestyle Fellowship, and I Wish My Brother George Was Here by Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Bizarre Ride helped establish a new alternative scene on the West Coast, followed by artists such as Hieroglyphics, The Coup and Jurassic 5.

Despite its wide critical acclaim, the album produced only moderate sales, peaking at No. 75 on the Billboard 200 album chart in 1993. However, on the strength of the second single, "Passin' Me By", the album was certified gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 28, 1996. - Wiki

“Much like the Wu a short while later, in 1992 The Pharcyde entered the hip hop landscape as a fully-formed entity, not only a dope-ass group but damn near a valuable and refreshing philosophic, musical and aesthetic movement. Emerging from the left coast, they flew under the radar of the gangsta craze, instead joining with fellow creative oddballs such as Freestyle Fellowship and Souls of Mischief (and later Project Blowed, Solesides, etc) to create music that was damn funky but also thought provoking.” - Rap Reviews

Free TC was supported by six singles: "Only Right", "Blasé", "When I See Ya", "Saved", "Solid" and "Wavy". – Wiki

“Ty delivers a light, layered debut, with more depth than we thought could be drawn out of the trap&B sound he helped usher into the mainstream. Carefully tied together with a bow of radio hits and the voicemails he shares with his brother, TC.” – Hip Hop DX

“No one does baroque filth like Ty Dolla $ign. Free TC is an R&B epic of wanton bedroom jams, filled to the brim with charming grossness, actual prayers, and E-40. If you've been wondering what kind of sex music to play while you hump in your driverless car, this is it.” – Pitchfork

99.9% is the debut studio album by Canadian electronic music producer Kaytranada, originally released in 2016 through XL Recording. The 15-track album features guest contributions from the likes of Anderson .Paak, Vic Mensa, Little Dragon, Syd, Craig David, AlunaGeorge, and BadBadNotGood amongst others. 99.9% was supported by five singles: "Leave Me Alone" featuring Shay Lia, "Drive Me Crazy" featuring Vic Mensa, the Karriem Riggins and River Tiber-assisted instrumental "Bus Ride", "Glowed Up" featuring Anderson .Paak, and "Lite Spots". – Wiki

“Kay first made his name as a Soundcloud standout and dance DJ, but he has the mentality of a musico-archaeologist, digging past yesterday’s obvious pop gems to unearth the overlooked. In its sonic diversity, his album is reminiscent of Madlib’s crate-digging dynamism, but unlike a lot of instrumental hip-hop (or the house artists he’s sometimes grouped with), Kay’s beats are not at all rigid or predictable. His drums are configured strangely, bending, shifting, doubling back. With those rhythms, and his own custom-made synths, the 23-year-old shows himself to be a strong-willed studio auteur on a mix of instrumental and lyric-based tracks.” – Pitchfork

“After racking up millions of plays on streaming sites, Kaytranada has arrived, an artist of the digital age whose respect for the Golden Age will draw fans in, and whose attention to detail will keep listeners nodding their heads throughout. Along with a growing legion of fans, Kaytranada’s debut project 99.9% has been cosigned by an eclectic mix of artists including Vic Mensa, Phonte, Craig David, Anderson .Paak, BadBadNotGood, GoldLink and more. A slew of instrumental, Hip Hop and R&B tracks, the album, much like the title suggests, earns high marks.” – Hip Hop DX

Take Me to Your Leader is the second studio album by British-American emcee/producer MF DOOM, released under the alias King Geedorah in 2003.

King Geedorah is the alias DOOM uses as part of the underground super group Monsta Island Czars. The album features guest appearances from MF Grimm (as Jet Jaguar) as well as other MIC members. The character is based on the three-headed gold dragon King Ghidorah, a monster who appears in the Godzilla films. Every member of Monsta Island Czars took a stage name based on a monster character from the Toho Godzilla film series. - Wiki

“Take Me to Your Leader will excite you in a way most hip-hop projects just aren't able: It's not straining for credibility nor putting effort into being revelatory; it just is. Everyone involved got their kicks making this record, and the enthusiasm drips off the jewel case. Like Bobbitto Garcia says: "Create and share with the world." In the album's press release over at Big Dada, MF says: "You should listen to the album for what it is and not expect it to be like the average 'rap' stuff you're probably used to... a blend of ill lyrics and instrumentals. To me, it's way iller than any of the wack shit out now." And not like you'd expect a chef to say his dishes taste like shit, but this time the horse's mouth speaks the absolute truth.” - Pitchfork

From his early days in 90s collective KMD to his reinvention as a masked supervillain leading the indie hip-hop revolution, MF DOOM has consistently pushed the boundaries of hip-hop in new and unexpected directions. While DOOM’s lyrical genius is well-documented, he has quietly become an important figure behind the boards as well. DOOM has always produced his own music, and in the early 2000s he released the acclaimed ten-part Special Herbs instrumental series, introducing the world to the dusty, lo-fi loops that define his production aesthetic.

In the years since, DOOM has supplied soundscapes for Ghostface Killah’s classic Fishscale album, produced an entire album for Masta Ace, and witnessed a new generation of emcees (including Joey Bada$$, Capital STEEZ, and Bishop Nehru) using Special Herbs beats on their breakthrough mixtapes.

Now, the villain is putting the spotlight back on his production with the official vinyl release of Special Blends, Vol. 1 & 2. Originally self-released in extremely limited quantities back in 2004, Special Blends Vol. 1 & 2 pairs vintage DOOM-produced Special Herbs instrumentals with classic hip-hop and R&B vocals. Mixed by DOOM himself, this collection incorporates vocals from a wide range of iconic records.

"First of a Living Breed" is American rapper Homeboy Sandman’s debut full-length album released through Stones Throw Records in 2012.

“This may be his Stones Throw debut, but Homeboy Sandman is no new jack. He’s already holstering two critically acclaimed LPs (Actual Factual Pterodactyl and The Good Sun) and a tsunami of goodwill from fans, friends, and rivals alike. So scathing bombast like “Eclipsed’s,” “Listen here, let me tell you something / All you suck!” smack like truth bombs since Sandy’s actually earned enough respect to flex condescension. In attitude, First Of A Living Breed reflects that.

Accompanying Homeboy Sandman’s evolved swagger are a plethora of perspective strapped stanzas. He’s as opinionated as ever – embracing didacticism without venturing into preachiness. The J57-produced “Illuminati” is the best example. Boy Sand spits from the position of the mysterious secret society, masterfully dissecting the macro and micro of population control.” - HipHopDX

“Danny Brown’s XXX is a concept record about hedonism, growing up, and Detroit, taking listeners on a profane and psychedelic journey through the uncensored mind of rap’s most electric MC. There’s no laundry list of guest appearances or producers-for-hire, keeping the focus squarely on Danny and his rhymes: a triple stack of pop culture references and did-he-really-say-that? provocations atop the heart of a poet. Among it’s near universal critical acclaim, Spin named XXX their rap album of the year and The Fader and XXL featured Danny on the cover. Fool’s Gold recently re-released the record in a deluxe edition with bonus tracks, and a 2xLP vinyl version is on the way.” - Fool’s Gold Records

“Pitchfork Media placed the album at number 19 on its list of the "Top 50 albums of 2011", while Spin named it the top hip-hop album of 2011. In October 2013, Complex named XXX the eighth best hip hop album of the last five years.

In June 2016, Pitchfork Media placed the album at number 3 on its list of the "50 Best Rap Mixtapes of the Millennium".” – Wiki

“The audacious Detroit rapper with a strangled voice and a penchant for depravity transforms his jagged edges into a compelling and immersive universe. Brown's voice is uniquely suited to conveying wild-eyed, loose-cannon insanity, and the rising note of panic in it makes every mention of snorting crushed Adderall hurt.” - Pitchfork

“XXX is given depth and longevity by a tension, or collision between hardcore rap’s reality fix and the avant-garde’s desire for creative and expressive freedom from reality. This Internet and drug-fueled collision has reinvigorated outsider interest in underground rap in the last few years (see: Odd Future, Main Attrakionz and, of course, Lil B) and XXX might just represent the most polished and fully formed manifestation of street-meets-art rap so far. It is, in any case, essential listening.” - FACT Magazine

“Kindness For Weakness is Homeboy Sandman's third full-length album on Stones Throw Records. The album's title comes from Sandman's internal insight saying “mistaking kindness for weakness is a weakness I need to have more kindness for.” One of Sandman's most poignantly lyrical releases to date, the album centers on the MCs discomfort in his comfort zone and addresses themes such as his personal insecurities, rapper stereotypes and morality.

Since signing with Stones Throw Records in 2011, Homeboy Sandman has made himself at home releasing 3 full-lengths – First of a Living Breed, Hallways, and now Kindness for Weakness – along with a series of 5 short records and most recently, releasing a free EP with collaborator Aesop Rock named Lice. Sandman has once again established himself as one of the most productive and creative lyricists of this generation.” – Stones Throw Records

“Homeboy Sandman tapped into a unique energy, and parlayed the vibe into a rap career. The Stones Throw MC, with his penchant for haphazard deliveries and a strong command of rhythm, continues making headway in the indie and underground circles with his latest effort, Kindness for Weakness. Running just over 36 minutes, it’s a quick, concise listen, with everything the Alternative Hip Hop-listening crowd could ask for. …

Kindness for Weakness is a strong album with a permeating message. The whole vibe is original, and exquisite minimalist production tips the scales, in tow with strong lyricism. Homeboy Sandman’s abilities as a MC, paired with a strong supporting cast of guest MCs and producers, execute accordingly without being repetitive. Best of all, he offers up a valuable life lesson: be kind always. The album’s biggest strength is the number of wells from which it draws inspiration. Kindness is more than just good manners; it’s a modus operandi.” – HipHopDX

House of Balloons is the debut mixtape by Canadian singer The Weeknd, originally released as a free download in 2011, through his website, and formed part of his Trilogy compilation. Its music incorporates electronic and urban genres including R&B and soul with trip hop, indie rock, and dream pop tones. Contributions to the mixtape's production came from Canadian producers Doc McKinney, Zodiac, Illangelo.

“What makes this whole thing work in an album context is that all the thematic and sonic pieces fit together-- these weird, morning-after tales of lust, hurt, and over-indulgence ("Bring the drugs, baby, I can bring my pain," goes one refrain) are matched by this incredibly lush, downcast music. It's hard to think of a record since probably the xx's debut (definitely a touchstone here) that so fully embodies such a specific nocturnal quality. And even though the image of nightlife painted by the Weeknd isn't a place you'd ever want to live, it's one that's frankly very hard to stop listening to.” - Pitchfork

“The early consensus favorite is “House of Balloons”, which surgically removes the hook and chorus from Siouxsie and the Banshees’ 1981 gem “Happy House” and drops it into a but-once-a-year summer jam, one of the only uptempo moments on this record and the one in which Tesfaye and his team push the levels to the red. Windows down, volume up, repeat. The best part of the track, though, comes when it ends at 3:30, thrillingly transitioning “Glass Table Girls”, a Weekend manifesto. Has an 808 ever sounded so good, so deep? “Glass Table Girls” takes the “fun, fun, fun, fun” (apologies to Rebecca Black) of “House of Balloons”‘s party and reveals the coke-addled, sinister heart at its core.” - PopMatters

“This is the very first time Funky DL has ever produced and released an instrumental album based on music that he has never recorded any vocals for. The 10 tracks encapsulate the vibe and energy of the many places in Japan and this album is a perfect representation of the serenity absorbed through the nights of chilling, dining, entertaining and relaxing in one of the greatest countries in the world… “Nippon” (Japan)

The Nights in Nippon Jazzstrumental Album (N.I.N.J.A.) is the perfect audio backdrop for late night car cruising or open window chilling, releasing a sense of calm and contentment for any avid and discernable listener.” - FunkDL.Bandcamp.com

““Nights in Nippon” is an instrumental album and dedication to the fond memories Funky DL has accumulated over the many years of his travels in Japan. Having visited the many beautiful cities and towns across the prefectures of Japan, DL has enjoyed everything from the Temples of Kyoto to the flashing lights of Tokyo. From the chilled vibe of Osaka to the calming shores of Yokohama.

Funky DL has been fortunate enough to have been so kindly embraced by the people of Japan and states that he has always been very grateful that “of all the places in the world, the Japanese have supported me the most to make my career worthwhile – my love for Japan is more than I can explain”.

This is the very first time Funky DL has ever produced and released an instrumental album based on music that he has never recorded any vocals for. The 10 tracks encapsulate the vibe and energy of the many places in Japan and this album is a perfect representation of the serenity absorbed through the nights of chilling, dining, entertaining and relaxing in one of the greatest countries in the world… “Nippon” (Japan)” - Blackout Hip Hop

How I Got Over is the ninth studio album by American hip hop band The Roots, originally released in 2010 by Def Jam Recordings. It was produced primarily by band members Black Thought, Questlove, Dice Raw, and Rick Friedrich. The album has a subtle, somber sound and features lyrics concerning themes of existentialism, perseverance, and modern society. A hip hop album, its music also draws on indie rock, soul, funk, gospel, and neo soul styles.

Critics commended the album's slow-grooving sound, its guest artists' contributions, and its content's lyrical depth. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2010. - Wiki

“The music similarly evolves slowly but surely, nuanced and nimble as it skips down a line somewhere between Terry Callier and J-Dilla. But, fittingly for an album so concerned with change and transitions, it’s the progression between the tracks which truly makes How I Got Over so impressive; such as the roll of ?uestlove’s drums in between ‘The Day’ and ‘Right On’ which then lead into ‘Doin’ It Again’ and ‘The Fire’. Those four tracks alone would make How I Got Over one of the best albums of recent memory. The fact that The Roots keep up that form throughout means that, if you’re really looking for where this album truly belongs, it’s up there with Sly And The Family Stone’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On or Marvin Gaye’s What’s Goin’ On – an album with a universal soul, heart and conscience, but a groove all of its own.” – Drowned in Sound

Lese Majesty is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Shabazz Palaces, originally released in 2014 by Sub Pop. Shabazz Palaces the experimental hip-hop duo led by Ishmael Butler, aka Palaceer Lazaro (formerly Butterfly of jazz–hip hop group Digable Planets) and multi-instrumentalist Tendai "Baba" Maraire, son of Mbira master Dumisani Maraire.

“Herein bumps and soars Lese Majesty, the new sonic action of Shabazz Palaces. Honed and primal, chromed and primo. A unique and glorified offering into our ever-uniforming musical soundscape. Lese Majesty is a beatific war cry, born of a spell, acknowledging that sophistication and the instinctual are not at odds; Indeed an undoing of the lie of their disparate natures.

Lese Majesty is not a launching pad for the group’s fan base increasing propaganda. It is a series of astral suites, recorded happenings, shared. A dare to dive deep into Shabazz Palaces sounds, vibrations unfettered. A dope-hex thrown from the compartments that have artificially contained us all and hindered our sublime collusion.

These reveries were sent to Palaceer Lazaro and Fly Guy ‘Dai in the year of gun beat battles in excess; In a succession of days, whilst walking in dreams and in varied transcendental states….(every minute of every day is filled with observation and composition. In action). Songs are committed and gathered by robots at Protect and Exalt Labs, a Black Space in Seattle, Washington.

The visual features of Lese Majesty are resultant of the gleanings of fellow Constellationaire, Nep Sidhu.

“Spectacular, way-out hip-hop. Ishmael Butler and Tendai Maraire's music seems totally without precedent, and even if sometimes it's just too weird to enjoy, more often it's genuinely thrilling. …

Lese Majesty, his second album as one half of Shabazz Palaces, has found itself lauded in some quarters as "the future of hip-hop" – not a phrase that anyone was in a rush to append to Snoop Dogg's pop-reggae inspired Reincarnated, or indeed the goings-on at Cypress Hill's Smokeout festival and Medical Marijuana Expo.

Lese Majesty's predecessor, 2011's Black Up, was an album noted for its denseness and complexity. Reviewers struggled to find anything else even on rap's outer fringes to liken it to. If you wanted a comparison from the rock world, you might suggest that Butler and Tendai "Baba" Maraire's work has a similar relationship to hip-hop as Captain Beefheart's late-60s ouevre did to the blues: it takes a heavily codified genre and warps it so dramatically that the result bears almost no resemblance to its musical roots. To extend the Beefheart metaphor further, you could claim that Lese Majesty is to Black Up what 1969's Trout Mask Replica was to its predecessors, the point where the music snips any last slender ties to commerciality and ventures out into the unknown. Breakbeats are chopped up until they frequently lurch from one deeply unfunky time signature to another. Virtually none of the tracks have anything you would describe as a standard structure.” – The Guardian

Black Up is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Shabazz Palaces, originally released in 2011 by Sub Pop. Shabazz Palaces the experimental hip-hop duo led by Ishmael Butler, aka Palaceer Lazaro (formerly Butterfly of jazz–hip hop group Digable Planets) and multi-instrumentalist Tendai "Baba" Maraire, son of Mbira master Dumisani Maraire.

“Black Up is the new sonic move from Shabazz Palaces. Like rich velvet hijabs or gold threaded abayas. Luxury as understood by the modest. Shabazz Palaces. If Bedouins herded beats instead of goats and settled in Seattle instead of the Atlas Mountains, this would be their album. Forward thinkers but nostalgic for a sparer time when ancient astronomers only recognized five planets. Hip hop. Black light uses electromagnetic radiation to eradicate microorganisms, but shabazz didn’t come to kill a sound, just to shine their own incandescent lamp on this. Hear. Hard and clear. Fifty thousand years in the making. Honorable.—palaceer pink gators. Produced by Knife Knights.plcrs at Gunbeat Serenade Studio in Outplace Palacelands. It was recorded and mixed in Lixx-alog by Blood.” – Sub Pop

“Shabazz Palaces were making compelling, left-field hip-hop that had much in common with UK dubstep or the digital soundscapes of Radiohead favourites Flying Lotus.

This enthralling album's first track, "Free Press and Curl", opens with oscillations andrattling handclaps, before a serious worm of a bassline drops. Throughout, Black Up's production is stark and uneasy; tinged with jazz, but coloured principally by the dystopian corners of urban bass music. And once it gets hold of you, it doesn't let go. Every track is lean and muscular, never losing sight of the fact that hip-hop should writhe inexorably forward.

The allure of this sonically startling outfit only deepens with the knowledge that Shabazz Palaces' main man – Palaceer Lazaro – is really Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, who once formed a third of Grammy-toting, 90s Daisy Age hip-hop crew Digable Planets.” – The Guardian

The original release of the Madlib and J Dilla collab, created between Los Angeles and Detroit in 2002-2003.

The project was conceived in fall 2002 after Stones Throw released a limited edition 12" featuring "The Message," a track made by Madlib in 2000, flipping Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's lyrics over a J Dilla beat. The song, unofficially credited to "Jaylib," was never intended for commercial release, but it got the two producer/mc's together to talk about an equal collaboration. Dilla & Madlib previously worked together briefly in Detroit, late 2001, on a project which was never completed.

This Jaylib project is all-new hip hop material.

Jaylib's album will be Madlib's first as emcee since "The Unseen" by Quasimoto in 2000.

Half of the songs are produced by Madlib and feature J Dilla on vocals, and the other half are pro-duced by J Dilla and feature Madlib on vocals. This album was the first of the Madlib duo collabora-tion albums made during the 2000s.

In 2010, Champion Sound was listed by Black Milk as one of the "Top Ten Albums of the Last Dec-ade". In 2015, it ranked at number 41 on Fact's "100 Best Indie Hip-Hop Records of All Time" list. In that year, it was also listed by HipHopDX as one of the "30 Best Underground Hip Hop Albums Since 2000".

“As each were situated in their home towns (Dilla in Detroit and Madlib in L.A.), they fleshed out Champion Sound, which will easily win the award for the Most Blunted Album of the Year; these guys were smoking serious greens while working this one out. As one might expect, the production qualities of an album made by two of hip-hop's most celebrated producers is rich in texture, innovation, and solid momentum. Where Madlib is a seasoned MC (look at Lootpack's Soundpieces or Quasimoto's The Unseen), Dilla is not. He's not bad, just rougher around the edges, which lends to a disorienting listen in general. The beats are slapped together, whacked samples are abruptly dropped, and the lyrics are steps behind the beat and generally about nothing but b-boy posturing and other nonsense. All of which results in a very unique and strangely rewarding album. While it may require repeated listens to take hold, Champion Sound is full of a lot more winners than losers.” – AllMusic

“808s & Heartbreak is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Kanye West, released on November 24, 2008, by Roc-A-Fella Records. It was recorded during September and October 2008 at Glenwood Studios in Burbank, California and Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii, with the help of producers such as No I.D. and Jeff Bhasker.

Conceived in the wake of a series of distressing personal events, 808s & Heartbreak marked a major musical departure for West from his previous rap records, instead featuring a sparse, electronic sound and West singing through an Auto-Tune vocal processor. His lyrics explored themes of loss, alienated fame, and heartache, while the album's production eschewed conventional hip hop sounds in favor of a minimalist sonic palette, which included prominent use of the titular Roland TR-808 drum machine. Despite varying responses from audiences, the album received positive reviews from most critics and was named one of 2008's best records in several year-end lists.

808s & Heartbreak debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 450,145 copies in its first week. By 2013, it had sold 1.7 million copies in the United States. Four singles were released to promote the record, including the hit singles "Love Lockdown" and "Heartless".

In the years since its release, 808s & Heartbreak has been cited as a prominent influence on subsequent hip-hop, pop, and R&B, as a new wave of rappers, singers, and producers came to adopt aspects of its style and thematic content.

In 2014, Rolling Stone named it one of the 40 most groundbreaking albums of all time.” - Wiki

“On 808s and Heartbreak, West might be making his own hip-hop version of Sea Change or In the Wee Small Hours, or countless other concept albums where the concept is sadness. But he isn’t fitting a cookie-cutter mold, he’s innovating. As a whole the album draws lines between ‘80s pop, electro, rap, current-day R&B, and other genres, while furthering the production and composition skills that have been West’s true skill from the start. Lyrically these songs contain none of the cleverness of his previous raps, but the music expresses way more than the lyrics even reach for.

The success of 808s and Heartbreak doesn’t hinge on Kanye West’s decision to not rap. This is a different style of album and he chose a different style of vocals for it. It isn’t successful just because he is channeling real-life emotions, either. He has always had a confessional aspect to his songs, even though usually he cut back against it with jokes. The album is so successful because of his winning ways with both song and album construction, and with the way he captures a particular feeling through unusual, evocative, carefully crafted music that’s both simple and complex, cold and warm, mechanical and human, melodic and harsh.” - PopMatters

Black Star, an American hip hop duo consisting of Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey) and Talib Kweli formed in 1997 from Brooklyn, New York City, New York. Black Star’s ‘Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star’ is the duo’s only studio album released on August 18, 1998 to widespread critical acclaim and has gone on to be considered a seminal classic of the 90s underground hip hop scene. The title references the Black Star Line, a shipping company founded by Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey. The album deals with modern-day issues, philosophies and life in Brooklyn.

This pressing is part of Universal Music Enterprises’ (UMe) "Respect the Classics" series, which pays tribute to many of hip-hop's finest albums on vinyl. This release features a limited edition two-tone black on black picture disc.

“There's no slack evident in the tight wordplays of Def and Kweli as they twist and turn through sparse, jazz-rooted rhythms calling out for awareness and freedom of the mind. Their viewpoints stem directly from the teachings of Marcus Garvey, the legendary activist who fought for the rights of blacks all around the world in the first half of the 20th century. Def and Kweli's ideals are sure lofty; not only are they out to preach Garvey's words, but they also hope to purge rap music of its negativity and violence.” - AllMusic

The Renaissance is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Q-Tip, originally released in 2008 by Universal Motown Records, and as a follow-up to his solo debut album, Amplified (1999).

The Renaissance was produced primarily by Q-Tip and features guest contributions by D'Angelo, Norah Jones, Amanda Diva, and Raphael Saadiq.

The Renaissance received a Grammy Award nomination for a Best Rap Album in 2009.

"Q-Tip’s forte has always been the way he implemented his unique methods in such a breezy way. Like jazz musicians, from whom he has drawn tremendous influence in architecting his craft, he performs in a way that makes what he does sound easy. .... The production generally sticks to the Ummah-era aesthetic – smooth, soulful, jazz-infused. … The Renaissance feels like a complete album. Each song has distinctive characteristics, and brilliant sequencing allows for seamless transitions between tracks." - PopMatters

"a mostly new, tight refining of everything Q-Tip's done in his attempts to break his solo sophomore jinx-- the album people were spending the last nine years hoping he'd make. It features the deep, smooth neo-soul-tinged production from Amplified and final Tribe record The Love Movement (complete with a post-mortem Dilla contribution for a bit of that Ummah feel), pushes it simultane-ously outwards towards both classic boom-bap and fusion experimentalism, and signals a welcome return of that familiar elastic, swing-cadence voice dropping jewels on the mic. " - Pitchfork

About Q-Tip:

Kamaal Ibn John Fareed (born Jonathan Davis on April 10, 1970), better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American rapper, record producer and DJ. He embarked on his music career as part of the critically acclaimed East Coast hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest.

John Bush of AllMusic called him "the best rapper/producer in hip-hop history," while editors of About.com placed him on their list of the Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers, as well as placing him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007).In 2012, The Source ranked him #20 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. – Wiki

Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik is the debut album of American hip hop duo OutKast, rappers André 3000 and Big Boi, working together with production team Organized Noize. The album was originally released in 1994 by LaFace Records.

A Southern hip hop album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik features live instrumentation in its hip hop production and musical elements from funk and soul genres. Wanting to make a statement about urban life as an African American in the South, OutKast wrote and recorded the album as teenagers and addressed coming of age topics with the album's songs. They also incorporated repetitive hooks and Southern slang in their lyrics. – Wiki

“Southernplaylisticadillacmuzik will always be regarded as a stellar debut album, a left-field nuclear bomb that landed smack dab in the era of rap purists laud endlessly. The Illmatic, Ready to Die, The Chronic era, in which no rap or pop music critic was quite ready for the drawl-heavy, genre-blending series of cherry bombs Outkast dropped on the industry.” – The Source

“OutKast would go on to make so much more great music, but we’d never hear them on each other’s level in quite the same way again. Maybe they lost something when they moved off in different directions. Or maybe they needed to establish a foundation as solid as Southerplayalistic before they nudged each other on to become their greatest selves. Either way Southernplayalistic stands as a truly great rap album on its own, and as a harbinger of even more great things to come. If you haven’t listened to it in a while — or if you’ve never listened to it — go back to it. It’s a nourishing experience.” – Stereogum

Untitled Unmastered is a compilation album by American hip hop recording artist Kendrick Lamar, released in 2016 by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records

It consists of previously unreleased demos that originated during the recording of Lamar's album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015), continuing that work's exploration of politically-charged and psychological themes, as well as its experimentation with free jazz, soul, avant-garde, and funk styles. - Wiki

"Issued without advance notice 17 days after Kendrick Lamar's riveting 2016 Grammy Awards performance, untitled unmastered. consists of eight demos that are simply numbered and dated. Apart from segments previewed at the Grammys and late-night television appearances, there was no formal promotion. A postscript, it's (artfully) artless in presentation -- not even basic credits appear on the Army green liner card in the compact disc edition -- yet it's almost as lyrically and musically rich as To Pimp a Butterfly." - AllMusic

"As with To Pimp A Butterfly, Untitled Unmastered straddles the personal and political to make some salient points and advances...A perfectly fine release, Untitled Unmastered doesn't exist to change anyone's mind about Lamar. That ship has sailed, and for the foreseeable future the narrative course is a righteous one. But the vessel has cracks, as it always has, and if we continue to rely on the immensely talented and imperfectly mortal Lamar in the ways we've been relying on him, we're likely to end up dashed on the rocks." - The Quietus

"This eight-track, 35 minute set begins in a bedroom, incense burning, Lamar sexing up a lover over soul-jazz, bass-and-percussion foreplay. But before we hit the two-minute mark he's seeing rapists and murderers, "death faces screaming in agony," "atheists for suicide/planes falling out the sky/trains jumping off the track." And this is a jam about uplift." - Rolling Stone

"My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is the fifth studio album by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West, released on November 22, 2010, by Roc-A-Fella Records. Following a period of public and legal controversy, West retreated to a "self-imposed exile" in Hawaii in 2009. There, he worked on the album in a communal recording environment that involved numerous contributing musicians and producers.

Noted by critics for its maximalist aesthetic, opulent production quality, and dichotomous themes, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy incorporates aspects of West's previous works, including soul, baroque, electro, and symphonic styles. The album deals with themes of excess and celebrity, and explores such issues as consumer culture, race, and the idealism of the American Dream.

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy received widespread critical acclaim and was also named the best record of 2010 in numerous critics' polls and year-end lists.

Andy Gill from The Independent called it "one of pop's gaudiest, most grandiose efforts of recent years, a no-holds-barred musical extravaganza in which any notion of good taste is abandoned at the door".

In the Los Angeles Times, Ann Powers found the music "Picasso-like, fulfilling the Cubist mandate of rearranging form, texture, color and space to suggest new ways of viewing things".

Time magazine's David Browne viewed it as West's most lavish record and said it proved again that few other artists shared his ability to adeptly combine diverse elements. Dan Vidal of URB highlighted West's ability to bring out the best out of his collaborators, finding it comparable to the work of Miles Davis. Writing for Rolling Stone, Rob Sheffield called the album West's best and most wildly inspired album to date, claiming that no other artist was recording music as dark or uncanny, while Sputnikmusic critic Channing Freeman hailed it as "the first album in which he's truly lived up to his potential in every way - as a rapper, as a lyricist, as a songwriter". The Village Voice's Sean Fennessey found the album overwhelming and skillfully produced because of how each song transitions over "like some long night out into the hazy morning after"." – Wiki

Note: The vinyl release of the album comes in die-cut double gatefold sleeve. Includes 5 inserts and a large 24"x24" poster of George Condo artwork.

“BADBADNOTGOOD and Staten Island rap champ Ghostface Killah - inspired by 1960s and 70s music and taking inspiration from the recording techniques and production of that era, and eschewing sampling in favour of live instrumentation, BBNG with producer Frank Dukes have created a dramatic, cinematic musical staging for Ghostface’s vivid storytelling. Sour Soul also features guest spots from MF DOOM, Elzhi (Slum Village / J Dilla), Danny Brown and prodigal new rapper Tree (Project mayhem).

“As far as dream collabs go this one is hard to beat” Complex

“He might be the best, most colourful storyteller rap has ever seen” – Pitchfork on Ghostface

“How the group redefines the genre is through their unconventional influences, youthful vigor and musical experimentation” - Hypebeast

“As self-confessed hip hop heads as well as jazz academics, BADBADNOTGOOD have the audacity to mix the unexpected and pull it off with finesse.” – Dazed & Confused

“...even given the fairly proud lineage of wild musical juxtaposition, these kids are making waves.” - The Guardian “ – Lex Records

The Mouse and the Mask is a collaboration album by super-producer Danger Mouse and masked supervillain MF Doom under the name Danger Doom, originally released in October 2005, and is now being reissued for its 10th year anniversary.

The album features Cee-Lo Green (also of Gnarls Barkley), Talib Kweli, Ghostface Killah, Money Mark and the cast of cult cartoon show Aqua Teen Hunger Force and ten years on remains DOOM's best-selling album to date.

Lex has a history of lavish packaging but this remains one of the lushest sleeves in the catalogue. Designed by EHQuestionmark, the outer sleeve is made from thick translucent textured plastic with DOOM's mask printed on cover, and mouse ears on each side of the mask forming a pattern that looks like a Rorschach test (a technique reused in another Danger Mouse project six months later).

The inner sleeves, visible through the outer at first glance pattern based on an Ishihara test, but inside the circles in the pattern are tiny icons depicting a different disasters - climate change, acid rain, holy war, nuclear leaks. - Lex Records

"Next out of the box is Danger Doom, the stunning and welcome collaboration of two of hip-hop's most innovative artists, both of whom already have close ties to the world of animation -- Danger Mouse not only named himself after a cartoon but is also a part-time Gorillaz beatmaker, and the rapper MF Doom has imagined himself variously as a comic-book character and fire-breathing monster-movie hero (not to mention, he's rarely photographed without wearing an iron mask that makes him look like an early version of the Marvel supervillain Doctor Doom).

Their partners for The Mouse and the Mask are the characters of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block, a cast whose creators share with Danger Mouse and MF Doom the same influences (obscure '70s superheroes, some making a resurgence on Adult Swim) and motivations (a parade of surrealist fantasies intersecting with real life, like the crusading happy meal that airs on Cartoon Network as Aqua Teen Hunger Force). Granted, none of these cartoon characters are rappers, and they're wisely given only backgrounds, transitions, or samples (all of them hilarious). No, it's the experts who handle nearly all of this record, and they're at the top of their game.

Doom's dense flow and ciphered allusions have much in common with Adult Swim; both presuppose a large body of cultural knowledge to appreciate what's going on and both rely on a series of bankable eccentricities presented at light speed with high artistry and innumerable subtleties for later parsing by fans. ...

It all adds up to the best album of the year in the hip-hop underground, and perhaps the best with any degree of popularity." - AllMusic

“Madlib received a rare opportunity with unfettered access to the storied Blue Note archives and permission to use them as he wished for a remix/interpretation album released on Blue Note itself. The result, Shades of Blue, is really more of a Yesterdays New Quintet album, but Madlib's name is far more recognizable then his alter ego and faux-supergroup, YNQ. So, Shades of Blue features Madlib interpreting and remixing Blue Note classics such as Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" and Gene Harris' "The Look of Slim" (remixed here as "Slim's Return").

Overall, a good time is had by all, as he doesn't just sample the tracks as much as fit them into his own sound. That's why the record would be better compared to the Yesterdays New Quintet debut, Angles Without Edges, where Madlib takes on the personas of numerous instrumentalists (going so far as to credit them individually in the liner notes) and make laid-back break-heavy jams that serve great as background party stuff -- and that's really where Shades of Blue works the best. Intent listening doesn't really give much up, but for smooth subconscious grooves, it's perfect.” – AllMusic / Blue Note Records

About Madlib:

“From the unlikely location of Oxnard, a beach town 40 miles north of Los Angeles, the multi-dimensional Madlib quickly rose to prominence as one of the most interesting figures in late-'90s hip-hop. With his childhood buddies in Lootpack, Madlib quickly made a name for himself as a rapper, producer, and DJ. In particular, his expansive style and deft touch for composition made him one of hip-hop's most sought-after producers. An enthusiastic crate-digger with a deep reverence for jazz and soul, Madlib branched out into a number of ambitious, engaging solo projects. Along with DJ Romes and Wildchild, Madlib formed Lootpack in their hometown of Oxnard. The trio made its debut on Tha Alkaholiks' 21 & Over in 1993. They continued doing work for Tha Alkaholiks and other artists before releasing their full-length Soundpieces: Da Antidote! six years later. The album earned solid re-views but went largely unnoticed. Madlib did not, however. After hooking up with Los Angeles DJ Peanut Butter Wolf, Madlib did a lot of production for Wolf's Stones Throw label. In 1999 the label released Quasimoto's astonishing The Unseen LP. Doubling as himself and his alter ego Quasimoto, Madlib handled vocals and production duties on the album, a huge critical success. Not resting on his laurels, Madlib followed The Unseen a year later with his Yesterdays New Quintet project. Madlib played all the instruments himself, infusing his exploration of jazz with both style and substance.

Another stylistic detour followed in late 2002, when he released Blunted in the Bomb Shelter Mix, a spin through the vaults of the classic dub/reggae label Trojan. While continuing on with a massive release schedule and workload, Madlib completed a remix/reinterpretation project for Blue Note, a collaboration with Jay Dee under the Jaylib alias, a collaboration with MF Doom, half the production of fellow Lootpack member Wildchild's solo record, and many other remix and producer tasks -- all in 2003. Never one to slow down, the next few years brought myriad new releases, including The Funky Side of Life from jazz band Sound Directions; Quasimoto's The Further Adventures of Lord Quas; his own Beat Konducta, Vol. 1-2; and a collaboration with Talib Kweli, Liberation, which was made available as a free download on the Stones Throw website during the first week of 2007. The Bollywood-flavored Beat Konducta, Vol. 3-4: India would follow that same year with the Dilla tribute Beat Konducta, Vol. 5-6 following in 2009. At the beginning of 2010, Medicine Show No. 1: Before the Verdict kicked off what was planned to be a monthly 12-volume series. With only a few delays, the series wrapped up in 2012. ~ Martin Woodside” – Blue Note Records

“Initially intended for release in 2002, The Diary is the final batch of unissued material that Dilla had assembled for release during his lifetime, lending crucial insight into the producer’s prowess and thought process in the period leading up to his break with the major label system and the extremely fertile period that followed (which encompassed the making of the canonical classics Ruff Draft, Jaylib, and Donuts). The Diary features vocal performances by J Dilla, Snoop Dogg, Bilal, Kokane, Frank and Dank, Nottz and Boogie, over production by Dilla, Madlib, Pete Rock, Hi-tek, Nottz, House Shoes, Supa Dave West, Bink! and Karriem Riggins. The album was announced in an interview with Nas on Zane Lowe’s show on Beats1 with the never-before-heard song “The Introduction.”

The Diary was Dilla’s attempt to take advantage of the attention afforded him after his brightest period as a behind-the-scenes hit-maker and influencer. However, the project stalled and the album was literally shelved, the reels languishing in storage in Detroit as a relocated Dilla began a creative renaissance in Los Angeles. The Diary in this, its final form, was painstakingly assembled over a ten year period from two-track mixdowns and multi-track masters found in J Dilla’s archives after his death in 2006. The completion of The Diary was overseen by The Estate of James Yancey’s Creative Director Eothen Alapatt, long term general manager of Stones Throw Records and A&R for Donuts and Jaylib, whose previous archival Dilla work includes the expanded Ruff Draft issue from 2008. The Estate of James Yancey is overseen by California’s Probate Court on behalf of Yancey’s four heirs – his mother, Maureen “Madukes” Yancey, his brother John “Illa J” Yancey and his two daughters, Ja’Mya Yancey and Ty-monae Whitlow.

The musical landscape has shifted mightily in the wake of J Dilla’s final album. Donuts’ release and Dilla’s subsequent death forced a critical and fan-level reexamination of his work and importance on the global stage. J Dilla was marginalized in the years leading up to his death, as he, battling the rare blood disorder that would eventually take his life, eschewed the major label-led music industry where he created or aided some of the music industry’s brightest – D’angelo, Erykah Badu, Common – in the late 90s and early 00s, moved to California from his native Detroit and dug deep into the deepest recesses of his creative spirit to offer a new take on hip hop’s decades old art form of sampling. After Donuts, the likes of Kanye West and Pharrel Williams could be heard echoing words read on a fan’s shirt from one of J Dilla’s last European tours in 2005: J Dilla Changed My Life. They were not the only ones: Justin Timberlake opines openly that the world needs more Dilla. J Dilla became a critical signpost for these stars, and others: the archetype figure that birthed everything they loved and cared for in hip-hop.” – J Dilla.com

“PayJay Productions, Inc. was the company James Dewitt “J Dilla” Yancey founded in 2001 to house his production company and his publishing company. The Estate of James Yancey has revived PayJay as a functioning imprint, and announced the release of J Dilla’s long lost vocal album, The Diary. The tracks come straight from multi-track masters found on 2-inch tape shortly after Dilla’s passing in 2006. Many were mixed by Dilla himself. Those that weren't have been mixed by engineer Dave Cooley, who worked extensively with Dilla during his years in Los Angeles. Using Dilla’s original demo mixes as his guide, Cooley attempted to finalize Dilla’s vision for these tracks, while keeping all of the elements that Dilla had in place in his original demos present.

The Diary is an album of vocal performances recorded between in the early 2000s over production by the likes of Madlib, Pete Rock, Nottz, House Shoes, Karriem Riggins and others. The Record Store Day vinyl issue of The Diary includes a special 7” pressing of "The Ex" that will only be found on the RSD issue of the LP.” – Record Store Day

Tracklist

A1 The Introduction

A2 The Anthem

A3 Fight Club

A4 The Shining Pt. 1 (Diamonds)

A5 The Shining Pt. 2 (Ice)

A6 Trucks

A7 Gangsta Boogie

B1 Drive Me Wild

B2 Give Them What They Want

B3 The Creep (The O)

B4 The Ex

B5 So Far

B6 Fuck The Police

B7 The Diary

C The Ex

D The Ex (R&B Version)

Note:

Record Store Day 2016 release. Limited to 4000 copies.

Includes download card, bonus 7" and a 12-page book detailing the story behind this legendary album.

Quasimoto first came to life on Madlib's personal beat tapes in the producer's early years in Oxnard CA - private music, not meant for release, made for himself and a small circle of local smokers and their car stereos.

By the time of Quasimoto's debut The Unseen, most had caught on to the fact that Madlib and Quasimoto were one in the same. The MC as artistic alter ego, like a talking dummy from surreal rap vaudeville. Quasimoto is usually the "bad character," doing and saying what the producer doesn't, with Madlib along side as a noncommittal collaborator. The Unseen (Stones Throw, 2000) was among the new decade's first sleeper hits, ranking on Spin's year end list at a time when the producer and label were unknown outside hip-hop DJ circles.

After a subsequent journey through jazz production and now-legendary collaborations with MF DOOM & J Dilla, Madlib called on Quasimoto again for The Further Adventures of Lord Quas. The album played something like a smoked-out comedy/crime Blaxploitation flick, and continued to build Madlib's reputation as one of the most creative and fearlessly skewed creators in hip-hop.

As for Quasimoto - usually represented by pen & ink with brick in hand - he has been many things over the years: rapper, cartoon, the poor-man's Gorillaz, a toy, bad tattoo, internet meme. To all this Lord Quas might say, yessir ... whatever. It's all about the music.

Yessir Whatever collects 12-tracks made by Madlib and Quasimoto over a roughly 12-year period. A few were released on rare & out-of-print vinyl, while a few others are previously unreleased, now mixed and mastered for the first time. Take two & pass. Yessir ... whatever. - Stones Throw Records

Blowout Comb is the 1994 second album by cult, Brooklyn-based hip hop trio Digable Planets.

"The album is named for the combs used to maintain an Afro hairstyle, and that’s significant. The group’s Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler said it summed up what they wanted to do with it: "It means the utilization of the natural, a natural style,” he has said.

Like with 1993’s debut Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space), ‘utilizing the natural’ meant creating hip hop that blended jazz with the formidable rap skills of the aforementioned Butterfly, Craig ‘Doodlebug’ Irving and Mary Ann ‘Ladybug Mecca’ Vieira. Unlike that debut, it meant broadening to include guests such as Gang Starr’s Guru, Jeru the Damaja, and Jazzy Joyce.

Following the gold-selling commercial success of their debut, they here set out to prove their artistic prowess. This is intelligent, alternative hip hop that sounded like party music. Its lyrics are dense with wit, social commentary and politics – and its original inner sleeve was modeled on the newspaper of the Black Panther movement.

Its instrumentation includes sax, vibraphone and flute. Its samples – gathered from global cratedigging trips while touring the first album around the world – included Grant Green, Eddie Harris, Shuggie Otis and jazz-funk pioneer Roy Ayers (whose “We Live in Brooklyn, Baby” became “Borough Check” here). And yet at the same time its beats are infectious and its spirit undeniable.

This is an album firmly rooted in Brooklyn. “Growing up hearing and cherishing this album, it created a textured soundscape of a mythical world of rhymes, jazz, breakbeats, culture, art and urban ambiance,” says DJ and fan Mick Boogie in the liner notes. “When I moved to Brooklyn years later, I found that the world I imagined while listening to this classic LP actually really existed…”

Though Digable Planets have reunited on occasion since – and though their influence endures in every top-shelf rap act with a jazzy sensibility – the trio parted ways after Blowout Comb, citing that old favorite "creative differences”. Sometimes, the most volatile combinations create the best art.” – Light In The Attic

More about Digable Planets:

“Blowout Comb is named for the combs used to maintain an Afro hairstyle, and that’s significant. The group’s Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler said it summed up what they wanted to do with it: "It means the utilization of the natural, a natural style,” he has said. Like with 1993’s debut Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space), ‘utilizing the natural’ meant creating hip hop that blended jazz with the formidable rap skills of the aforementioned Butterfly, Craig ‘Doodlebug’ Irving and Mary Ann ‘Ladybug Mecca’ Vieira. Unlike that debut, it meant broadening to include guests such as Gang Starr’s Guru, Jeru the Damaja, and Jazzy Joyce. Following the gold-selling commercial success of their debut, they here set out to prove their artistic prowess. This is intelligent, alternative hip hop that sounded like party music. Its lyrics are dense with wit, social commentary and politics – and its original inner sleeve was modeled on the newspaper of the Black Panther movement.” – Light In The Attic